The fear is the unknown when it comes to Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson.
He will miss his first game on Saturday against the Toronto Raptors in what could be a string of absences with a shoulder injury. He suffered the injury against the Raptors in the Hawks’ last outing.
Johnson has missed eight games this season already. Many have involved shoulder issues, though it was his right shoulder – first with soreness and then inflammation – before.
This latest issue is with his left shoulder, and the Hawks finally provided a real update.
“Forward Jalen Johnson left Thursday night’s game vs. Toronto after sustaining a left shoulder injury during the second quarter,” The Hawks began the announcement in a post on X on January 25. “He will be listed as out as he undergoes further medical testing and evaluation. His injury and status will be updated as appropriate.”
Johnson was having an All-Star-caliber season, and he looked like he could cash in on his previous Most Improved Player momentum of last season too.
Injuries have once again gotten in the way for Hawks, Jalen Johnson
Johnson, 22, appeared in 56 games in 2023-24. He fell nine games shy of the NBA’s required minimum to qualify for postseason awards. With at least nine absences in the books after today, Johnson is quickly running out of cushion.
The biggest concern is that the Hawks need Johnson, who signed a five-year, $150 million contract extension before the season.
Notably, the Hawks have already lost guard Kobe Bufkin for the season to a shoulder injury.
For the Hawks, this is just the latest in what feels like a years-long affliction of injuries to their top players. The Hawks are certainly not the only team dealing with injuries. Every team feels the impact as the season goes on.
That does not make them any less impactful, as any Hawks fan will tell you. Just as they appear set to get reinforcements for the frontcourt, they lose star power in Johnson. It also increased the burden on Trae Young, who is questionable for Saturday’s game with hamstring tightness.
Then there is the trade deadline. The Hawks are 22-22 and sit eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
They are simultaneously 2.0 games out of fifth and 3.5 games from 10th.
They still have a fair amount of cushion to avoid missing at least the Play-In Tournament, sitting 5.5 games ahead of the 11th-place Philadelphia 76ers. But it is unclear how acceptable of an outcome that would be for a third straight season for the Hawks.